And on That Bombshell: Inside the Madness and Genius of TOP GEAR

For 13 years, 22 series and 175 shows, Richard Porter was script editor of Top Gear, from the first faltering pilot episode in 2002 until the very last show presented by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May in 2015. Along the way they destroyed cars, sparked diplomatic incidents, set fire to caravans, almost killed one of the presenters, and somehow transformed Top Gear from a shabby BBC Two motoring show into an Emmy-winning, record-breaking, planet-straddling behemoth.

Guy Martin: Worms to Catch

In August 2015 Guy Martin crashed out of the lead of an Ulster Grand Prix superbike race held on the world's fastest racetrack. He had invasive surgery to bolt his broken spine and hand back together, and within days he decided he needed some time away from road racing. But he wasn't about to take it easy.

Guy Martin: When You Dead, You Dead: My Adventures as a Road Racing Truck Fitter

"The maddest 12 months of my life. The journey starts with an oddball race up an American mountain and ends with me checking myself out of hospital with a broken back. Again..." As Guy Martin's grandfather, Voldemars, frequently reminded him, "When you dead, you dead". So, before it's all over, Guy Martin is making the most of the time he's got.

The Top Gear Story

This is the full story of the unstoppable rise of Clarkson, Hammond, May and The Stig - and how they have transformed an ordinary programme about cars into one of the most famous and best-loved TV programmes of the 21st century. Reaching a peak in the 1990s thanks to presenter Jeremy Clarkson, the original series then faced the axe in 2001 - but Clarkson and producer Andy Wilman successfully pitched a new format to BBC bosses and Top Gear returned to become the irreverent, funny and often controversial show we now know and love.

Fear: Our Ultimate Challenge

Sir Ranulph Fiennes has climbed the Eiger and Mount Everest. He's crossed both Poles on foot. He's been a member of the SAS and fought a bloody guerrilla war in Oman. And yet he confesses that his fear of heights is so great that he'd rather send his wife up a ladder to clean the gutters than do it himself. In Fear, the world's greatest explorer delves into his own experiences to try to explain what fear is, how it happens and how he's overcome it so successfully.

The Man in the White Suit: The Stig, Le Mans, The Fast Lane and Me

The Stig gets his kit off and reveals how he came to be Top Gear's iconic racing driver and so much more - including what it's like to thrash an Aston Martin DBS, train for the Army and face the terror of Jeremy Clarkson's underwear...When the Black Stig disappeared off the end of an aircraft carrier in 2003, we were introduced to The White Stig. Faster. Stranger. Harder to keep clean. And ever since, millions have wondered - who is The Man in the White Suit? They're about to find out.

Thanks for Nothing

For the first time, comedian Jack Dee reveals the highs and lows of his early life and disastrous day jobs. You don't just wake up jaundiced and bitter; it's taken Jack years of dedication and commitment to brew his unique cocktail of disillusionment and bile. What turned this once optimistic young man into a grumpy middle-aged git? Was it working in an artificial-leg factory?

The Longest Kill: The Story of Maverick 41, One of the World's Greatest Snipers

It takes a tough mind-set to be a successful sniper, to be able to dig in for days on your own as you wait for your target, to stay calm on a battlefield when you yourself have become the target the enemy most wants to take out. Craig Harrison has what it takes, and in November 2009 in Afghanistan, under intense pressure, he saved the lives of his comrades with the longest confirmed sniper kill - 2,475 metres, the length of 25 football pitches.

Guy Martin: My Autobiography

The Phenomenal Sunday Times Number-One Best Seller. It was the start of the third lap of the 2010 Senior TT, the last race of the fortnight. The last chance to get a TT win for another year, and I was pushing hard. Ballagarey. The kind of corner that makes me continue road racing. A proper man's corner. You go through the right-hander at something like 170 miles per hour, leant right over, eyes fixed as far down the road as I can see. But this time something happened. This time the front end tucked....

Britty Britty Bang Bang: One Man's Attempt to Understand His Country

Mock the Week and Outnumbered's Hugh Dennis with an hilarious and insightful exploration of the changing image of Britain and Britishness.

Hugh Dennis has secretly been worrying about what being "British" meant for nearly a decade, ever since his friend Ardal O'Hanlon had told him in passing that he was the most British person he had ever met. Hugh was unclear whether he was being praised, teased, vaguely insulted, or possibly all three - because it has always been very difficult to know how to feel about being British.

Easily Distracted

Steve Coogan was born and raised in Manchester in the 1960s, the fourth of six children. From an early age, he entertained his family with impressions and was often told he should "be on the telly". Failing to get into any of the London-based drama schools, he accepted a place at Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre and before graduating had been given his first break as a voice artist on the satirical puppet show Spitting Image. The late '80s and early '90s saw Coogan developing characters.

A Life in Parts

Bryan Cranston landed his first role at seven, when his father, a struggling actor and director, cast him in a commercial. Soon Bryan was haunting the local movie theater, reenacting scenes with his older brother. Acting was clearly his destiny - until one day his father disappeared. As a young man on a classic cross-country motorcycle trip, he found himself stranded at a rest area in the Blue Ridge Mountains. To pass the time, he read a tattered copy of Hedda Gabler, and in a flash he found himself face-to-face with his original calling.

Publisher's Summary

Being given yet another pointless 'man manual' that told him 50 ways to tie a bow tie in under 30 seconds made James May certain there was a need for another kind of book. This book, in fact. He reckons there are nine vital things that a chap should be able to do.

Not stuff you can download from the Internet, but really important things. You never know when you might need to land an A330 Airbus, or deliver twins. And there may well be a moment when being able to play a bit of classical music on the piano is absolutely crucial to your success with women. So read, learn, and be prepared - you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting to get from this book, which is exactly what I got! I didn't think it was going to be a comprehensive manual on landing a plane, even though it's known that James May is a pilot. It, as far as I can tell, was a funny, quirky, slightly disturbing look at the want to be alpha male and the fantasies of being the center of attention.

Pure genius from the most thoughtful amateur mechanic and all round top bloke... IN THE WORLD!

Practical advice for those rare moments I'm life where those not reading this book will be standing around like an extra on 'The Poseidon Adventure' before they get a steam pipe tumbling on their head as you calmly save the day.

Where does How to Land an A330 Airbus rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's one of my favorite books! Being a fan of "Top Gear" on BBC, I was amused to see that 'Captain Slow' had written a mans guide to things they need to know. If you have ever watched the show you know that cars are often described as completely pointless but you must buy one and here's why. That's is book!! Very amusing , completely useless, and absolutely fabulous!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

S. Anderson

Salem, MO United States

17/11/11

Overall

Performance

Story

"Truly Vital Skills"

Ok, so I am pretty sure I will never use anything learned from this book. So what! I was entertained by every minute of this book and still find James May to be my favorite of the Top Gear hosts. This book is a must for any of his fans.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Katherine

Hopkins, MN, United States

09/04/12

Overall

Performance

Story

"Mostly delightful . . ."

What did you love best about How to Land an A330 Airbus?

May's penchant for detail is obvious in this book. I vacillated between fascination with the information he presented, amusement at his insane determination to investigate every little detail, and, only very occasionally a little bit of impatience at this endless detail. But running along it all is his fantastic dry wit, which is what really makes this so easy to listen to.

What does James May bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I really think that hearing May read this is the best way to experience it. Only he could deliver all of his little jokes in just the right manner to make them work.

2 of 3 people found this review helpful

Amadeo

26/05/12

Overall

Performance

Story

"Not great, but good"

Any additional comments?

Many of the 'skills' it teaches are mundane, barely relevant. But it has a few good ones. Bonus points for the narration, by James May himself.

1 of 3 people found this review helpful

Andy

Westport, CT, United States

17/11/14

Overall

Performance

Story

"not funny, not informative, not entertaining"

The riff on the A330 was a total waste of time. I then switched off the audiobook.

0 of 3 people found this review helpful

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